In Kirkwood, we believe that our streets should be safe and accessible for everyone. That's why we're prioritizing pedestrian safety with a range of initiatives designed to enhance walkability and create more inclusive streetscapes. From improved crosswalks to community-driven feedback, we're committed to making Kirkwood a place where every step counts.

JOIN US AT TWO UPCOMING OPEN HOUSES!

Event 1: Southeast Kirkwood Connectivity Study Open House

Date: Tuesday, November 19
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: Meacham Park Neighborhood Improvement Association
 1001 S. Kirkwood Road, Suite 330

The Southeast Kirkwood Connectivity Study aims to create a safe, multi-use trail connecting pedestrians and cyclists from Southeast Kirkwood to Nipher Middle School and Downtown Kirkwood. This is an opportunity to help improve transportation options for all roadway users. Join us to learn more about the project and share your thoughts! For more details and to participate in surveys, visit kirkwoodmo.org/government/streets-are-for-everyone.

Event 2: Safe Routes to School Plan Open House

Date: Tuesday, December 3
Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Location: Kirkwood High School Cafeteria
 800 Dougherty Ferry Rd

 Our Safe Routes to School Plan focuses on identifying the best routes and support programs to ensure students can travel to school safely without relying on cars. This meeting is a key opportunity for community members to contribute to safer, more accessible pathways for our children. Come to learn about the project and voice your suggestions! For more details and to participate in surveys, visit kirkwoodmo.org/government/streets-are-for-everyone.

Both projects are part of Kirkwood’s "Toward Zero" Supplemental Planning Activities, which prioritize traffic safety and foster a walkable, bikeable community. We look forward to seeing you at these events, where your input can make a real difference! Please contact Jonathan Raiche, raichejd@kirkwoodmo.org, with any questions.

For more information about these efforts, open the "Vision Zero" section below.

Our Pedestrian Safety Initiatives

• Enhanced Crosswalks: We're upgrading crosswalks to make them more visible and accessible, ensuring safer crossings for pedestrians of all ages.
• Traffic Calming Measures: By introducing measures like speed bumps and narrower lanes, we're working to slow down traffic and reduce accidents in high-risk areas.
• Improved Lighting: Better street lighting is being installed to increase visibility for both drivers and pedestrians, making our streets safer at night.
• Signage Upgrades: New and improved signage is being added to guide traffic more effectively and alert drivers to pedestrian zones.
• Sidewalk Expansions: We're expanding sidewalks to provide more space for pedestrians, making it easier and safer to navigate our community on foot.

How the Community Can Get Involved

At Kirkwood, your voice is vital in making our streets safer for everyone. We encourage all residents to get involved by participating in our safety programs and attending public meetings where you can share your ideas and concerns. Your feedback is invaluable, and we offer several ways to contribute—whether it's through completing our online surveys or reaching out directly to our local government officials. Stay informed about upcoming events and join us in shaping a safer, more walkable Kirkwood for all. For more information or to connect with City staff, please visit our Contact Us page.

Other Projects and Outreach

• Vision Zero Action Plan Implementation (see separate section on webpage)
• Kirkwood Police Department’s Bicycle Safety Courses (“Bike Rodeo”) at area schools.
• Kirkwood Fire Department’s partnership with the Magic House on “Safety Town”
• Kirkwood Fire Department’s safety offerings, including car seat installation training

Kirkwood is committed to making our streets safer for everyone. In March 2022, the City Council adopted the Vision Zero Action Plan, aiming for zero traffic-related deaths and se injuries. This plan, shaped by community input, focuses on reducing bicycle and pedestrian collisions. Alongside this, the Complete Streets Policy was also adopted to ensure safer, more accessible travel for all.

Learn more: Vision Zero Action Plan | Vision Zero Kirkwood Action Plan Appendix | Complete Streets Policy.

To learn more about these transportation and safety approaches, visit the Vision Zero Network and the National Complete Streets Coalition.

Southeast Kirkwood Connectivity Study

The Southeast Kirkwood Connectivity Study will identify potential alignments to safely connect pedestrians and cyclists from Southeast Kirkwood to Downtown.

• Southeast Kirkwood is physically separated from the rest of the city by the major arterial roadways of Big Bend and Kirkwood Road, as well as the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railway, making it difficult for residents to feel a part of the broader community.
• These neighborhoods are also isolated from neighboring communities by Interstate 44.
• While Downtown Kirkwood and its many destinations are close and very walkable, residents in Southeast Kirkwood are unable to walk and bike there safely. 
• Big Bend and Kirkwood Road, major arterial corridors in Southeast Kirkwood, are on the Vision Zero High Injury Network (HIN), reflecting the safety challenges these roads present to people walking, bicycling, and accessing transit and destinations in the study area.  
• The Study will use technical analysis and public input to identify at least three alternative alignments that cross Big Bend Road and the BNSF railway, connecting Southeast Kirkwood to neighborhoods and destinations to the north.

Part of our initial outreach for this project is conducting a brief online survey. Please take a few moments to take our Southeast Kirkwood Connectivity Study Survey.

Safe Routes to School Plan

The Safe Routes to School Plan will identify the best routes and programming support to increase the number of students who are able to bike and walk to school safely.

• Safe Routes to School programs aim to make it safer and easier for students to walk and bike by providing infrastructure improvements, enforcement tools, safety programming and safety education.
• Working in partnership with Kirkwood School District, Kirkwood Safe Routes to School Plan will help everyone get to school in a safe and healthy way.
• Many schools in Kirkwood are located along dangerous and high-speed roads, including roadways where the highest number of fatal and serious injury crashes have occurred.
• The Safe Routes to School Plan will incorporate input received from community members and stakeholders.
• The Safe Routes to School Plan will be grounded in the “6 Es” (best practices) organizing framework: engagement, equity, engineering, education, encouragement, and evaluation.

Part of our initial outreach for this project is conducting a brief online survey. If you are a parent/guardian of a student that attends a school in the City of Kirkwood or within the Kirkwood School District, please take a few moments to take our Safe Routes to School Plan – Parent Survey

The City completed the Americans with Disabilities Act Sidewalk Evaluation and Transition Plan in October 2019. A copy of the ADA transition plan can be found here: ADA Transition Plan. The purpose of this plan is to document the City of Kirkwood's owned pedestrian facilities on public rights-of-way and develop reasonable objectives for making those facilities accessible for all people, including those with disabilities.

Developed in 2014-2015 in partnership with Trailnet and after significant citizen input and vision, this 15-year plan was created with the goal of enhancing walking and biking in streets and parks in Kirkwood.  Stated goals include:

• Prioritizing investments in walking and biking, based on cost and available right-of-way, to strengthen the overall network
• Seeing routine maintenance and upgrades as opportunities to improve the biking/walking network
• Consistently searching out state and federal grant opportunities and strengthening those funding options
• Identifying opportunities for education and encouragement of walking and biking. 

To further implement the idea extending the Gravois Greenway/Grant's Trail further into Kirkwood that is included in multiple of the City's long-range plans, the City embarked on a conceptual planning effort to select the appropriate corridor for the connection. After months of collaboration with community advisors, property owners, and the City Council, a preferred route for the Grant’s Trail extension was selected. Public input was key in shaping the plan, with surveys guiding our decisions. The City Council approved the final route on January 20, 2022, paving the way for a new greenway connection to downtown Kirkwood.

The preferred route (see image below) was broken into implementable phases to apply for federal grant funds from East West Gateway Council of Governments. As of September 2024, the project has received complete federal funding through various programs. For additional information on the status of the design and construction of the project, please visit the Grant's Trail project page on our website. Funding for Phase 2 of the project was awarded in September of 2024, details on the design and construction of Phase 2 will be added as they become available.

Learn more: Gravois Greenway/Grants Trail Extension Report

Success Stories and Impact

Longview Boulevard

This project is an example of a gap identified in the 2015 Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan. The Longview Boulevard Improvement Project analyzed and recommended the best location for sidewalks on Longview Boulevard and East Essex Avenue. The project also includes traffic calming, resurfacing and restriping Longview Boulevard.

The project included community input through the Longview Boulevard survey, public open house, and online open house.  A summary of this project can be viewed in the Longview Boulevard Improvement Project Fact Sheet. This project was fully constructed in summer of 2024. For more information, visit the Locally Funded Street Projects webpage.

Geyer Road

The Geyer Road Resurfacing project was completed in summer of 2024. In addition to repaving the roadway to improve the quality of the pavement, the project included a number of safety features including: ADA curb ramp reconstruction, crosswalk and traffic signal replacement and improvements, pavement markings for bicycle facilities, curb extensions for traffic calming, and two Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) at the intersections of Geyer Avenue with Nirk Avenue and Jefferson Avenue.  For more information, visit the Federally Funded Street Projects webpage.

Street Projects Engineered with Safety as a Goal

• Kirkwood Road Signal Project with enhanced crosswalks, pedestrian signals, and accessible curb ramps
• Installation of PHBs (Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons) on Kirkwood Road as part of the 2019 Kirkwood Road Signal Project
• Design of PHBs to be installed on Geyer Road in 2020 as part of the Geyer Road Reconstruction Project
• Raised Intersection at Taylor and Monroe completed in 2020
• High-visibility crosswalks downtown
• Bike wayfinding signs that establish a unified design for directional signage aimed at cyclists and pedestrians as they navigate through the City

Resources and Further Reading

Why Slow or Calm Down Traffic?

Kirkwood's traditional development patterns and street grid network offer many routes to get to the City's many destinations, especially close to Downtown Kirkwood. This is a great asset for walking and biking! It can also add motor vehicle traffic to many of the City's neighborhood streets, sometimes traveling above the speed limit. 

Motor Vehicle travel speeds have a direct impact on the safety of people walking and biking and effects the severity of an injury resulting from a collision. In addition, the perception of high travel speeds and heavy traffic volumes can reduce pedestrian activity on residential streets and produce a sense of uneasiness in our community. 

What is traffic calming and how to slow down Traffic?

The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) identifies traffic calming as speed management. Speed management addresses the negative effects of speeding and cut-through traffic, particularly on residential streets and may include:

1. Education
2. Programs
3. Physical design elements that calm traffic

One or multiple speed reduction techniques may be explored in a specific situation, and not all situations require permanent changes to the roadway. 

In 2020, The City of Kirkwood completed the Traffic Calming Guidance Document to establish procedures and best practices for traffic calming projects, from project identification and approval to design and implementation.

The City has the Street Code Issues Team (SCIT). This team evaluates the need and appropriateness for the placement of regulatory traffic control devices; i.e., stop signs, speed limits and no parking. Additional Information can be found on the Street Code Issues Team Webpage.